“Do you have stairs at the office? Then just walk up and down them ten times.” My exercise coach suggests that we should move a lot more at the office. Take a break every day and do some small exercises. “Set a good example.” Yes, we are all well aware that sitting is very bad for you, but actually doing something about it? “Just set a timer and get up off your chair,” he says. I nod, he’s right. But at the same time, I think he’s mad. Can you imagine me gasping for breath on the stairs at two o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon? When I relay the tips from the coach to colleagues, I feel bolstered in my opinion, because honestly, nobody wants to run up and down the stairs.
Many years ago, we used to have weekly office visits from Health & Fitness. For a quarter of an hour, some UM Sport employee would play music and produce some equipment, all the while five or six of us would stand in row with our shoes off (coincidentally, one of our number was always mysteriously unavailable – he’d have an interview scheduled at that exact time, or ‘just’ be out for a quick walk). There would be wall sits and jumping jacks, balancing on one leg for a minute, and elastic exercise bands galore.
It’s called exercise snacking, I read in de Volkskrant last week. ‘Snacking’, well, that sounds more fun than it is. Spending time over the course of the day doing exercises to get your heart rate up, a few minutes at a time. According to the article, these short, intense ‘snacks’ are said to improve your metabolism and overall fitness.
Almost all the employees at Observant exercise in their free time, ranging from one to seven times a week: swimming, yoga, football, cardio, strength training. But let’s be honest, we do sit an awful lot. Someone once suggested walking during interviews. It certainly sounds attractive, but when you have to tote around a notebook, too, it’s not an option. Riki Janssen recently went to the Student Services Centre, where one colleague always attends their online meetings at a standing desk. Excellent. I was reminded of the electrically adjustable desk that Observant once purchased and which only really gets used on Monday mornings by our finance guy (seated, just to be clear). I plan to drag it to my office – a good way to stimulate the circulation in my legs. Maybe we should all takes turns afterwards.
‘I hope the desk will be here by Christmas’, I type, as I take a bite of my muesli bar and stretch my big toes. The start of some ‘snaxercising’.
The editor-in-chief gives a look behind the scenes at the editorial office.